


Shamefully

by Prawnperson



Series: Submarine series [5]
Category: Don’t Starve (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Maxwell is a nasty bastard part the second, SCRAP!, Strangling, Violence, protective WX, uhhmmm, you’ve done messed up now Wex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-23 23:00:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19160752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prawnperson/pseuds/Prawnperson
Summary: WX-78 is more protective than they’d like to admit.





	Shamefully

“YOU.”

The crack of wood beneath the weight of a body alerts Maxwell of their presence before their voice reaches him. He turns his neck away from the fire pit to notice the camp’s resident automaton making their way towards him. Maxwell offers a half smile out of politeness. Maybe their company will provide better distraction than reminiscing about Charlie.

“Hello, pal.”

Maxwell starts, WX-78 thrashing their way through some stray butterflies to get over to the human. All the light dies from Maxwell’s eyes as WX finally draws close enough to place their hands against the shoulder pads of the magician’s eyes. This is not a friendly gesture and WX wants to make it known. They squeeze tighter.

“YOU HURT WALANI.”

Ah, so that’s what this is about! A simple misunderstanding is something he’s very well used to, and after sharing such a large camp with so many other survivors he’s learned how to clear up any little spats they may have been having over a few misconceptions.

“Oh, no, not to worry! That was merely an accident. When I was slicing for one of the te-“

“DO NOT LIE TO ME, OLD MAN.”

Maxwell winces as WX’s grip tightens, going from uncomfortable to painful. He opens his mouth to ask them to stop, but WX cuts him off again.

“THAT’S NOT ALL I WANT TO ASK ABOUT. WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THEM?”

WX finally draws a pained sound from the human with their grasp and grins inwardly. 

“THE ISLANDERS HAVE TOLD ME OF THE HARDSHIPS THEY HAD TO FACE. TALL BIRDS AND BEEFALO JUST THE SAME AS US...BUT THEN THERE’S THE REST...”

Maxwell raises his hand to WX’s wrist in an attempt to prize them off, but it’s a futile effort. He has them talking now.

“WHAT ABOUT SUMMONING LITTLE HELPERS FOR TREE GUARDS? SPLITTING UP ALL THOSE ISLANDS INTO USELESS, FOODLESS PILES OF SAND. WHAT ABOUT THE TIGER SHARK? OR THE GREAT TENTACLED MONSTER THAT COULD BREAK RAFTS IN HALF LIKE MATCHSTICKS?”

This is definitely a misunderstanding. A big one. Maxwell has to escape now. He digs his heels into the ground as his flight or fight response kicks in, eyes widening as the robot’s thumbs move over slowly to press against his Adam’s apple, adding unwanted pressure.

“I’VE SEEN THE WAY SHE LOOKS. EVERY SNAKE BITE, SCAR, JELLYFISH BURN. YOU WANTED HER DEAD. THE OTHERS I CAN UNDERSTAND, BUT...”

WX trails off to threatening silence, giving Maxwell some time to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

“Wait, is all this just about the surfer?!”

WX-78 is on him in a flash, pressing their whole body weight against him and sending him toppling from the log he’s sitting on to the ground behind him. Their hands close around his throat and squeeze, the pulse hammering against them. It will weaken soon.

Oh, how they’ve looked forward to this.

Maxwell lets out a hiss, digs his knee against WX and lifts his arms to shove him off. The robot only jolts slightly. Maxwell lands a slightly off target punch to their jaw that scuffs his knuckle. WX is ceaseless. Maxwell’s vision grows hazier by the second as he scrabbles at aims and kicks.

“HOW DARE YOU TREAT WALANI SO SHAMEFULLY?”

Maxwell flails at the ground beside him until his fingertips finally brush over rock, he grabs it and swings it up, bringing it crashing down into the robot’s metal head. WX-78 cries out, loud enough to attract the attention of a few of the others, but keeps throttling Maxwell. All the colour is draining from his face. He is not match for their superior robot strength, WX thinks. They wonder how proud they’ll make everyone when this threat is finally exterminated from their camp. Not that they care about their opinion, of course.

Maxwell can feel the world going black like Charlie enclosing them for the night. WX reckons they should have him dead in 5,4,3,2-

“Enough!”

Wilson’s voice finally cuts through the sound of them fighting in the camp’s main square. WX turns their head to see Wilson running towards him with Willow and Wolfgang in tow. Seems the other are watching from the sidelines, too. 

“Let him go! Get off of him!”

Wolfgang prizes WX away from Maxwell and drags him up onto his feet whilst Wilson frets and checks over Maxwell’s neck. He gasps down air like a flailing fish, mouth open in wide gasps. He’s undone all their hard work.

“What the hell, WX? I thought you were cool about the ‘not killing anyone in camp’ thing?”

Willow flowers at him as she speaks and WX can do nothing but stare back with Wolfgang still restraining them. Willow waits patiently for Wilson to send Maxwell of in the direction of a tent before turning back to WX, a look on his face the others have never seen before.

“You’re despicable! Of all the things I expected from you, this was certainly the last! Sure, a couple of scraps now and then, but this?! You’re a monster! I don’t mean a metaphorical one, either! A genuine, overpowering, fiendish monster!”

His gentlemanly mask is slipping. How amusing.

“Go back to your tent. Now.”

Wilson hisses, and WX is promptly frogmarched in the opposite direction. The rest of the camp looks on in varying degrees of worry. Good. They’ve attracted an audience. Maybe this will show them how foolish they were for trusting Maxwell. They look towards their crowd, attempting to flash a cocky grin, but stop instantly whenever they see the heartbroken look on Walani’s face. Warly has his hand on her shoulder. She looks like she could cry.

WX feels as though they could, too, as they’re shoved into the once appreciated solitary of their tent.

**Author's Note:**

> Local Maxwell bullier upsets crush more at 10.


End file.
